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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29602971">with shortness of breath</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/atzxcv/pseuds/atzxcv'>atzxcv</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon-Typical Violence, Comfort, Family Dynamics, Found Family, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 02:34:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,149</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29602971</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/atzxcv/pseuds/atzxcv</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>“Thanks for all your help, Ranboo,” he said mockingly, smile stretching even further. “It’s time for you to die.” Without any further words, he plunged the blade into Ranboo’s chest.</i>
</p>
<p>  <i>“Actually,” he said, adrenaline pumping through his body. “Nah.” </i></p>
<p>Ranboo learns the hard way that he isn't alone. </p>
<p>(AKA I watched Ranboo play Undertale and went, "Hm, sure would be cool if DreamSMP characters said some of those lines, huh?")</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>78</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>with shortness of breath</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>What's that phrase... the devil works fast, but fanfiction writers work faster? Something like that. I heard Ranboo say, "Actually, nah." during his 12-hour charity stream tonight at the end of Undertale, and brain went <i>brrrrr</i>. Here are the results. </p>
<p><em>Content Warnings:</em> Descriptors of blood and violence. Ranboo also heals in a kind of funky way that may resemble some <i>mild</i> body horror, but it's very brief (and honestly is very dull compared to Undertale). All CW-worthy material is BEFORE the line break. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>  <i>title from <span class="u">Saturn</span> by Sleeping at Last</i></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Dream stood over Ranboo, Nightmare in hand. “I told the same thing to Tommy,” he crowed, pacing back and forth. “This is how powerless you are.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ranboo lay curled on the ground, body battered and bruised. He ached in ways he didn’t know was possible, muscles screaming as he tried to push himself upwards. His elbow collapsed under the weight, sending him back to the ground with a thud. The dirt was cool against the palms of his hands as he managed to push himself back up onto all fours.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m just playing with my food,” Dream sneered. He placed the toe of his boot under Ranboo’s chin, forcing him to look upwards. “You’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>alone</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Ranboo. There’s no one coming to help you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ranboo stared into the soulless eyes of Dream’s mask, trying to convey every ounce of hatred. The mask slipped upwards, revealing a twisted grin. Dream pushed harder, forcing Ranboo onto his back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks for all your help, Ranboo,” he said mockingly, smile stretching even further. “It’s time for you to die.” Without any further words, he plunged the blade into Ranboo’s chest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The pain was indescribable. Ranboo felt the Knockback enchantment pulse through him, causing the earth around him to shake. Flames laced around his body, coloring the sky a mystical orange, warming him from the inside - or perhaps that was the blood beginning to pool around his body. He looked down shakily, looking at the blade protruding from his chest, placed almost perfectly on the junction between his two halves. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought faintly as the darkness began to wrap around the edges of his vision. It felt like he was sinking further into the ground, the dirt and mud enveloping him in a fatal hug. Some instinct in him screamed gutterally. He didn’t know if it was the enderman half or the unknown half. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was in that instant that the pain evaporated. Ranboo sat up, impaling himself further on Dream’s blade. “Actually,” he said, adrenaline pumping through his body. “Nah.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dream took a step back, sudden fear visible in every muscle of his body. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suddenly, the sounds of a horn split the air, sending chills through Ranboo’s body. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The first indication of their presence was the dogs. They howled and barked, a veritable cacophony before the chaos crew. A small group appeared from the nearby cliffs and caverns, running in full netherite. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Behind him, skidding to a halt, were Technoblade, Philza, Wilbur, Tommy, and Tubbo. They stood in an arc behind him, armor glittering in the sun as dogs circled hungrily, searching for their next prey. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stood to his full height, Nightmare still embedded in his stomach, and grinned at Dream. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You thought I was alone?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With a scream, he pulled the blade from his body. For a moment, he felt stunningly empty, before the two halves began to reach for each other, rapidly closing the wound. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s mine,” said Ranboo, netherite sword in one hand and trident in the other. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Wilbur and Tommy both opened their mouths, but Techno shot them both a look that silenced them immediately. Turning towards Ranboo, they exchanged a nod. Techno understood - Ranboo knew he did. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tommy was the first to leap into motion with a scream, shortly followed by Tubbo. The two leapt forward, shields at the ready, pushing Dream back. Wilbur, clad in the least armor possible, stayed towards the back, firing bolt after bolt, enchantments glistening from crossbow and bolts alike. Techno splashed down some potions immediately, catching the dogs and Phil in their spray. “PvP,” he roared, his cry echoing up towards the sky as he barrelled past Tommy and Tubbo. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ranboo took a heartbeat, staring at the people he knew to be family leaping into battle for him - </span>
  <em>
    <span>for him!</span>
  </em>
  <span> - before jumping into the fray. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was fast. Far faster than any other fight, but to be fair, it was 6v1. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Realizing that he couldn’t win against the sheer chaos before him, Dream turned, searching for a way out. He fell with a howl as Wilbur buried a crossbow bolt in his knee. He scrambled onto his back, shoving himself away from him. He was stopped by a black boot placed on his shoulder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You might want to stop there, mate,” Phil said, eyes cold. His wings were fully extended even in their burnt glory, casting a menacing shadow over the green-clad boy. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dream scrambled away from the weathered fighter. Techno surged forward, pressing the prongs of his trident against his throat, barely holding back from breaking skin. “Try it,” Techno deadpanned. “I dare you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, okay,” Dream said, laying back, hands raised in surrender. “You got me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tommy and Tubbo screamed in the background, already celebrating their victory. Ranboo stood above Dream, looking at the green eye that was visible from beneath the now-cracked mask. His gaze was hard as he tucked away both his blade and his trident, instead pulling Nightmare from his inventory. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For a moment, he saw fear flash through Dream’s eyes. “Hold on, now-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ranboo didn’t even let him finish his sentence. He didn’t even want to hear the words leave his mouth, after so many months of manipulation and terrorizing and </span>
  <em>
    <span>nightmares</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He plunged the metal into Dream’s chest, pinning him to the ground. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh,” Dream said simply. The mask slid from his face entirely, revealing wide green eyes staring into space over a starburst of freckles. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In that moment, Ranboo could see that something had changed. Perhaps it was the vulnerability of losing the mask, or perhaps it was the knowledge that this was it. But it didn’t matter. No one deserved to be alone at the end. Not even Dream. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He exchanged a series of nods with the rest of them, and they slowly backed up, even though they didn’t lower their weapons. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hi, Dream,” Ranboo said softly, kneeling next to him. The boy looked strangely young, the worries of years of conflict gone from his face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dream is a nice name, don’t you think?” His voice cracked as he spoke. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It is,” Ranboo replied, almost whispering. He glanced up to see that there was no one else within earshot. “How are you feeling?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m afraid,” Dream whispered, eyes beginning to turn glassy. “I know you probably hate me. I’d hate me too. I hurt you and so many other people.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You did,” Ranboo confirmed, trying to be gentle, but not willing to lie. His stomach twisted slightly, while some part of him screamed for showing such mercy to his enemy - to </span>
  <em>
    <span>Dream</span>
  </em>
  <span>, of all people. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was soulless. I couldn’t love other people, even though I wanted to. But I learned. I can feel your pain, Ranboo, but I can also feel your joy.” He lifted one hand to wave towards the other men who stood a few yards away. “They care about you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think they do,” Ranboo said. “Sometimes, I’m not sure.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know if anyone could ever love me like that. I don’t know if I could love anyone like that. So forget about me,” Dream said with a strangely distant smile. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I couldn’t forget about you, Dream.” Ranboo knew that his memories wouldn’t be positive, but Dream’s story would certainly be told.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Go. Be with them. It feels like they love you. Don’t you think?” A single tear slipped down his face before his eyes grew unfocused, staring off at something Ranboo couldn’t see. His smile stayed on his face, but it was softer than Ranboo had ever seen it. Perhaps Dream could have loved after all. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ranboo closed his eyes with long fingers, leaving the sword in place. He stood shakily, suddenly feeling all the fatigue from the battle. “We did it!” he cried, raising his trident towards the sky. He stood for a moment, silhouetted by the setting sun, before his knees gave out, and the darkness greeted him like a familiar friend. </span>
</p><hr/>
<p>
  <span>It was still dark when his eyes fluttered open, brain still blurred with fatigue. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ranboo,” rasped a nearby voice. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His head snapped to the left, where he saw Technoblade curled into an armchair. The warrior’s usually tidy hair was unkempt, glasses crooked on his face. Ranboo’s hand flew to his chest where Dream’s sword had been buried. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re alright, Ranboo.” Techno answered the unspoken question. “Exhausted, certainly, but you’re alright.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What happened?” Ranboo said, voice hardly more than a whisper. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You collapsed,” said Techno simply. “I carried you back here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The door creaked open. Ranboo barely managed to conceal his jump of shock as Phil slipped in, looking more tired than usual. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Ranboo,” Phil said, tension dissolving from his body at the sight of the enderman hybrid sitting up in bed. “I thought I heard your voice. How are you feeling?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Exhausted,” he replied, echoing Techno’s words from earlier. His eyes darted back towards the entryway, where Wilbur was doing his best to look like he wasn’t listening. “Where am I?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You didn’t tell him?” Phil swatted at Techno, who grumbled good-naturedly, before turning back towards Ranboo. “You’re at our cottage. It’s been a couple of days - we were starting to worry.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Techno even cried,” Wilbur added with a smile. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I did not,” Techno shot back immediately. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Anyways,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Phil said with a pointed look towards the two of them, “we don’t even know what you went through, considering we arrived halfway through.” He paused, looking at Ranboo, searching his red and green eyes for something - Ranboo might never know for what. “I don’t want to push you, but will you tell us the story?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course.” The words practically tumbled from his mouth. As soon as they did, Tommy and Tubbo swept into the room, carefully balancing trays of steaming mugs. They distributed them carefully, acutely aware of which mug was whose favorite. (With Techno, that was a mistake they’d only made </span>
  <em>
    <span>once.</span>
  </em>
  <span>) </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I brought water for you as well,” Tubbo said, setting down an extra cup next to the enderman-sized mug. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks, Tubbo,” Ranboo whispered with a smile, ruffling the boy’s hair. Tubbo returned the smile, ducking his head away from Ranboo’s hand. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In that far-too-crowded room, Ranboo’s memory was clearer than it had ever been. Perhaps it was the peace of mind that Dream was gone, and his chances of being manipulated while enderwalking had decreased significantly. Or maybe it was something more. Even so, the weight of his memory book was comforting in his hands, and he held it as a weapon and a shield, once the only thing he had carried against the world. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And so the sunrise found Ranboo, surrounded by the people that he loved, telling a story that he thought he would never be brave enough to tell. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The room fell silent as he finished, his words heavy in the air. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tommy was the first to break the silence. “So what now?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We live,” replied Wilbur, not making eye contact with anyone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Where will I go?” Ranboo whispered after a heartbeat of silence. “Where do I go from here?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, you can go wherever you want to go, Ranboo,” said Tubbo quietly, peering up at him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The kid’s right,” Techno rumbled. “You have the chance to make new memories, ones that are entirely your own. You can travel. See the biomes. Find new realms.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And we will be here for you, for as long as you need,” added Phil, voice as honest as Ranboo had ever heard it. “We will always be here.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A tear streaked down Ranboo’s face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He hadn’t even realized he was crying. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He scrubbed at his face with the back of his hands, pretending that his sniffles weren’t all too loud in the silence that had fallen again. Techno placed a hand down on his shoulder, rubbing gently, comfortingly. Tommy and Tubbo crowded the bottom of the bed. Phil sat delicately on the side of the bed, facing Ranboo, while Wilbur had managed to nestle himself into Ranboo’s arm. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They sat there for a moment that could have stretched onto infinity before Phil spoke again. “Well, we can talk about that again on another day,” Phil said, resting a hand on Ranboo’s shoulder, mussing Wilbur’s hair in the same motion. “For now, let’s have some breakfast, yeah?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The room sprang into action, Tommy and Tubbo racing downstairs, Phil following shortly after to ensure they didn’t cause too much destruction to his kitchen. Wilbur followed more slowly, complaining light-heartedly about the loss of physical contact. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Techno was the last one in the room with Ranboo, supporting the half-enderman as he got out of bed, still a bit wobbly on his feet. The two of them stood at the top of the stairs, Techno bearing a decent portion of his weight, and watched the laughter and joy burst from below them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Welcome home,” Techno said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you,” Ranboo mumbled. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And for the first time Ranboo could remember, he truly felt at home. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading! Let me know what you think? </p>
<p>Also, it's 2am, and I watched the entire 12-hour stream, so... sleep time for me, I think.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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